Save $ in 2010: At Home Energy Saving Tips

If you live in California you may have seen those Flex Your Power commercials on TV. Flex Your Power is California’s energy efficiency marketing and outreach campaign, a partnership between utilities, residents, businesses, institutions, government, and nonprofit organizations. In thinking about what I can do in 2010 to reduce energy at home that doesn’t cost very much to execute, they reaffirmed what I was thinking. Here are some ideas that you can implement at home in early 2010 if you live ANYWHERE to start the year out right and reap the benefits: lower bills and a smaller carbon footprint. 

SEAL LEAKS

Especially in the warmer and cooler months, find and seal leaks and cracks in your home. One way to do this is hold a burning incense stick up to all possible places where air might be sneaking in. You don’t want your heat running overtime since cold air drafts are getting in. Same applies when you have the air conditioner running – be careful that the refreshing cool air isn’t escaping. Install weatherstripping on windows and doors and insulate your attic, ceilings, and external walls. 

THERMOSTAT TWEAKS

Adjust your thermostat so that your system is working as efficiently as possible. Flex Your Power states that setting your air conditioner five degrees higher can save up to 20 percent on cooling costs. Sounds about right. Same goes with heat, don’t make it too hot and really turn it down when you’re not home or when you’re asleep. Put on some socks and a blanket and use a hot water bottle! Replace the air filters every few months too to ensure air is free flowing from your furnace. 

USE A FAN

When it’s warmer out or if you just need a little air circulation, use a fan: ceiling or plug in. They don’t use much energy and you might be able to cool off with that instead of running the air conditioner. In the fall and spring and on other lovely days, open the windows and turn off or lower your thermostat. That’s the best way to get fresh air. No energy consumed. At this point though, you may as well just go outside and enjoy the weather…  

ADJUST WATER HEATER

Do the same with your hot water heater. Turn it down! A good temperature to turn it down to is 120 degrees or the standard setting when at home but to the lowest setting when away. Since 13% of home energy costs are consumed by hot water heating, this makes good sense. If you want to invest for the long run to save energy and have instant hot water consider a tankless water heater. 

TURN IT OFF

On the theme of turning things off, turn things off. Unplug appliances, TVs, computers (or “power down” computers/laptops if you prefer), battery chargers, whatever you have plugged in, unplug it when not in use. Especially remember to do this when you go out of town. Those things still use energy when idle — more than you’d think. How dare they. And turn lights, TVs, etc off when you’re not in the room. Make this a habit. Encourage your family to do the same. 

CFLs

For the lights that you are using, inside and outside, be sure to replace them with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and save 75% off lighting costs. Install dimmers too.. and use them. Dimming the lights a bit works well for mood lighting and doesn’t use as much power. 

COLD WASH

Wash your clothes and linens in cold water with eco-friendly detergent. No need to make that hot water heater burn through energy if your clothes can get just a clean with cold water. Line dry what you can rather than using the dryer all the time. When you do use the dryer, clean out the lint trap and make sure the vent is clear and has a clean path to outside. Your dryer will not work as well if the lint trap is full or if the air vent is blocked. 

FILL DISHWASHER

Use that dishwasher to its maximum capacity. Fill it up with all of your dishes and only run it when full. Simply stated, the less you run it the less energy you use and no need to waste water by soaking or hand washing everything unless you absolutely have to. 

There are plenty of additional suggestions to reduce energy usage however some can be a bit pricier. We’ll tackle those recommendations another day. To really see the benefits of the simple changes listed above, take a look at your household bills from 2009 and compare them to your household bills in 2010 after you’ve made the adjustments.